


On Multiple Levels

by Waldo



Series: On Multiple Levels/The Unfuzzy End [1]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Coming Out, Community: contrelamontre, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-04-19
Updated: 2006-04-19
Packaged: 2017-10-06 10:23:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/52623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Waldo/pseuds/Waldo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>To everyone else it looked like they had been doing things like this for months.  Maybe years.  And John carefully schooled his features to not give away that this was the first time and he was a bit apprehensive, because to be honest, he wasn't sure if their relationship had progressed to that level.</p>
            </blockquote>





	On Multiple Levels

**Author's Note:**

> Flip Side: [The Unfuzzy End](http://smallwaldo.livejournal.com/12929.html) (Written for [](http://www.livejournal.com/users/contrelamontre/profile)[**contrelamontre**](http://www.livejournal.com/users/contrelamontre/)'s challenge to write the same story from two different POV's, in less than 90 minutes.)

To everyone else it looked like they had been doing things like this for months. Maybe years. And John carefully schooled his features to not give away that this was the first time and he was a bit apprehensive, because to be honest, he wasn't sure if their relationship had progressed to that level.

It had started after the second _Daedalus_ run. When the ship from Earth had come the first time there had been much needed basic supplies as well as some general comforts form home – chocolate, coffee, news – but it was the second run, the first regular supply and update mission that had brought a small library of DVDs and digital books.

At first there had been a general clamor to get to the movies and run off with them, but Kate Heightmeyer had suggested a little bonding ritual to premiere each new film or television series – and so Saturday had become Movie Club. There was nothing elite or special about it – those who could make it did, those who couldn't, whined about it all day Sunday. But it had the feeling more of an old art cinema club - with comfortable furniture, a few snacks and usually several international brands of beer available - than it did the feeling of a massive mulit-plex theater.

A large open room on the interior of the main spire – probably an Ancient workroom or maybe a small gym – had been converted into a bizarre hybrid living room/movie theater. Several comfortable couches had been brought in and various chairs and oversized pillows had filled in between them.

There were no stated rules, of course, but very quickly it got to be habit. If you came to Movie Club alone, you sat in one of the chairs or sprawled out on one of the pillows. The sofas were unofficially reserved for couples looking for the nearest thing to a 'night out' that could be found in the city.

A few weeks ago John and Carson had come in, looking for seats and Teyla casually remarked that she'd saved seats for them. John had coughed – he hoped discreetly – when he realized the seats she'd saved were on the oversized green sofa about three-quarters of the way back.

Along with the unofficial rule of 'the sofas are for couples' came the logical extension… the extension extended itself right out to the rumor mill. "The couples on the sofas are _couples_."

And while John was absolutely thrilled to be seeing Carson, he wasn't sure how Carson would feel about announcing to all of Atlantis that that was what they were up to. They weren't keeping it some big dark secret. If anyone needed to know for any reason, they were told. But neither of them felt it necessary to advertise anything to anyone. They didn't sneak around, no one left early in the morning so they wouldn't be seen coming out of quarters that didn't have their name on the wall plaque, but they weren't standing in the gateroom making declarations either.

He was pretty relieved to see Carson smile and thank Teyla sincerely before taking a seat.

That first night they were careful to stay on their own sides of the couch. To anyone not privy to the oddities of Atlantis social structures, it wouldn't have looked like anything at all.

The news ended up making a brief circuit around the rumor mill. John was amazed how many people seemed to already know and how many of the conversations he'd overheard included the words, "about damn time" and "you _didn't_ know that?" But for the most part, people seemed unfazed by the whole thing.

So as time went on, they stopped worrying about other people noticing that they were not only sitting together, they were sitting quite close together.

And now things were shifting yet again. Or rather, he was. It had been a long day. His team had had a very close call with a Wraith culling fleet out in the field that day, and he'd been knocked to the ground more than once on the sprint back to the gate. It was taking a toll and he was debating the wisdom of giving in to his body's needs and heading to bed. He wanted to see the movie, but once it had premiered at Movie Club it would be made available in the library and he could watch the end later.

He yawned. And it wasn't the first time. As much as he was enjoying the movie, he was really starting to flag. He let his head drop back against the edge of the couch and slid so that his feet were straight out in front of him.

Without taking his eyes off the screen, Carson put an arm around John's shoulders and tilted him in until John's head rested on his shoulder.

A little frission of nervous excitement went through John at the idea that Carson was comfortable enough with their relationship to allow for this sort of public display of affection. He smiled and snuggled in, letting his eyes drift close.

He had no idea how much time had passed when his eyes snapped open again and he found his arms flung out, like he'd been catching himself from falling. He noticed a few people sitting near by glancing over at him, checking to be sure he was okay, but a quick scan of the room said he hadn't disrupted the movie too badly for anyone.

He gave Carson a guilty smile when he realized he'd fallen asleep.

"Come on," Carson whispered, tugging on his arm and leading him to lie across his lap. John's head rested on the decorative pillow between Carson and the arm of the couch, his shoulders and body on Carson's lap.

Before he'd even settled, Carson had gone back to the movie and was subconsciously putting him back to sleep by running deft fingers through his hair.

Knowing that Carson would wake him when the movie had ended and would bundle him off to bed, helping him out of his clothes before shedding his own and crawling in after him, John let his eyes close. It wasn't the ideal place for a nap, he realized as the sound of a sudden car crash made him jump, but he was reasonably sure he'd never been more comfortable. On multiple levels.


End file.
